How to Read an Academic Research Paper

A Practical, Multi-Pass Strategy

Bogdan G. Popescu
bgpopescu@tec.mx

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Today’s Goals

  • Learn a multi-pass strategy for reading papers
  • Feel less intimidated by academic writing
  • Extract key ideas efficiently

By the end: You’ll have a repeatable reading workflow.

Why Papers Feel Intimidating

It’s Not Just You

Designed for experts:

  • Dense, specialized jargon
  • Complex statistical tables
  • Long, technical arguments

Good news:

  • Confusion is normal
  • Even professors re-read papers
  • You need ideas, not every detail

A Secret About Academic Writing

  • Most papers could be stated more simply
  • Authors write for peer reviewers, not students
  • Your job: extract core ideas
  • Reading skill is rarely taught—but learnable

So What?

If confusion is normal, what you need is a structured method—not more willpower.

→ Next: a running example to anchor our strategy.

Our Running Example

“Waking Up the Golden Dawn”

Full title: “Waking Up the Golden Dawn: Does Exposure to the Refugee Crisis Increase Support for Extreme-Right Parties?”

Published: Political Analysis (2019)

Authors: Dinas, Matakos, Xefteris & Hangartner

What’s This Paper About?

  • Question: Did refugee arrivals boost far-right voting?
  • Setting: Greek islands, 2015 refugee crisis
  • Design: Islands received different refugee flows
  • Finding: ~2 percentage-point rise in Golden Dawn vote

So What?

This paper will serve as our concrete example throughout the lecture.

→ Next: the three-pass reading strategy.

The Three-Pass Strategy

Don’t Read Start to Finish!

Bad strategy: Open page 1, read every word to the end.

Good strategy: Make multiple passes with different goals.

Based on: Keshav’s (2007) “three-pass approach.”

The Three Passes at a Glance

%%{init:{"flowchart":{"useMaxWidth":true},"themeVariables":{"fontSize":"22px"},"flowchart":{"nodeSpacing":50,"rankSpacing":60},"width":1100,"height":500}}%%
flowchart LR
  A["<b>Pass 1</b><br/>15–20 min<br/>Main Argument"] --> B["<b>Pass 2</b><br/>15–20 min<br/>Evidence"]
  B --> C["<b>Pass 3</b><br/>Optional<br/>Deep Methods"]
  style A fill:#4a7c6f,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style B fill:#b7943a,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style C fill:#b44527,color:#fff,stroke:#334155

Total: 30–40 minutes for core understanding.

So What?

A structured approach prevents you from drowning in detail before grasping the argument.

→ Next: let’s walk through Pass 1.

Pass 1: The Big Picture

What to Read in Pass 1

%%{init:{"flowchart":{"useMaxWidth":true},"themeVariables":{"fontSize":"22px"},"flowchart":{"nodeSpacing":50,"rankSpacing":60},"width":1100,"height":500}}%%
flowchart LR
  T["<b>Title &<br/>Abstract</b><br/>~2 min"] --> I["<b>Introduction</b><br/>~10 min"]
  I --> C["<b>Conclusion</b><br/>~5 min"]
  C --> S["<b>Skip</b><br/>everything<br/>else for now"]
  style T fill:#4a7c6f,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style I fill:#4a7c6f,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style C fill:#4a7c6f,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style S fill:#64748b,color:#fff,stroke:#334155

The Title Tells You a Lot

“Waking Up the Golden Dawn: Does Exposure to the Refugee Crisis Increase Support for Extreme-Right Parties?”

  • Topic: Refugee crisis and far-right voting
  • Question: Does exposure increase support?
  • Setting: Greece, Golden Dawn party

Read the Abstract Like a Movie Trailer

  • The question: What are they asking?
  • The answer: What did they find?
  • The method: How did they study it?
  • So what: Why does it matter?

Golden Dawn Abstract: Decoded

  • Question: Does refugee exposure boost far-right support?
  • Answer: ~2 pp increase (≈44% rise at the mean)
  • Method: Natural experiment across Greek islands
  • So what: Mere exposure can fuel anti-immigrant politics

What to Look for in the Introduction

  • Why this matters: Major crisis, European far-right surge
  • Previous research: Mixed contact-theory evidence
  • What’s new: Sudden 2015 arrivals as natural experiment
  • Main claim: Exposure increased support where refugees were visible

What to Look for in the Conclusion

  • Key result: ~2 pp increase in Golden Dawn vote share
  • Mechanism: Strongest where refugees were visible
  • Limitation: Can’t determine if effect is permanent

Honesty about limitations = good research.

So What?

After Pass 1 you should be able to state the question and answer in your own words.

→ Next: pause, reflect, then move to Pass 2.

After Pass 1: Pause and Reflect

Write Down Three Things

  1. The main question in your own words
  2. The main answer in your own words
  3. One thing you’re confused about

This becomes your foundation for Pass 2.

Pass 2: The Evidence

What to Read in Pass 2

  1. All figures and tables (~10 min)
  2. Research design section (~10 min)

Goal: Understand HOW they answered the question.

How to Read Figures

You don’t need to understand the statistics!

  • What is being compared?
  • What pattern do they show?
  • Does this support the main argument?

Figures tell stories—look for visual patterns first.

Golden Dawn: Key Visual Pattern

Simulated example inspired by Dinas et al. (2019).

Reading Tables Without Panic

  • Rows: Different groups or time periods
  • Columns: Different model specifications
  • Numbers: Estimated effects
  • Stars (*): Statistically significant results

Focus on: direction (positive/negative) and consistency.

Golden Dawn Results: What to Notice

  • Positive numbers throughout → exposure ↑ votes
  • Larger effects where refugees were visible
  • Consistent across specifications

Translation: The finding is robust—holds up multiple ways.

Understanding the Research Design

Core comparison:

  • Islands with many refugees vs. few/none
  • Were islands similar before refugees arrived?
  • Can we rule out alternative explanations?

So What?

Pass 2 tells you whether the evidence actually supports the author’s claims.

→ Next: identifying the research question more precisely.

Identifying the Question

Every Paper Has a Core Question

Template: Does [X] cause [Y]?

Golden Dawn: Does [refugee exposure] cause [increased far-right voting]?

Why Identifying the Question Matters

  • Helps evaluate if the answer makes sense
  • Reveals alternative explanations
  • Connects to other readings in the course
  • Generates your own follow-up questions

So What?

The research question is your compass for the entire paper.

→ Next: how do researchers establish causality?

Understanding Causality

What Does “Causal” Mean?

Causal claim: X causes Y (not just correlation).

Challenge: How do we know it’s not something else?

The Natural Experiment Logic

%%{init:{"flowchart":{"useMaxWidth":true},"themeVariables":{"fontSize":"20px"},"flowchart":{"nodeSpacing":40,"rankSpacing":50},"width":1100,"height":550}}%%
flowchart LR
  A["<b>Treatment</b><br/>Islands receiving<br/>many refugees"] --> C["<b>Compare</b><br/>Did Golden Dawn<br/>vote share rise<br/>MORE here?"]
  B["<b>Control</b><br/>Islands receiving<br/>few/no refugees"] --> C
  C --> D["<b>Assumption</b><br/>Islands were<br/>similar before<br/>2015"]
  style A fill:#b44527,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style B fill:#4a7c6f,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style C fill:#b7943a,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style D fill:#64748b,color:#fff,stroke:#334155

An Everyday Analogy

Testing fertilizer on plants:

  • Treatment group: gets fertilizer
  • Control group: doesn’t get fertilizer
  • Compare: do treated plants grow more?

Golden Dawn does this with islands (“natural experiment”).

Visualizing Treatment vs. Control

Author’s illustration of the treatment–control logic.

So What?

Understanding the causal logic helps you judge how convincing the evidence really is.

→ Next: Pass 3 for those who need to go deeper.

🗣️ Exercise 2: Spot the Comparison

Prompt: In the Golden Dawn study, the treatment is “islands receiving many refugees” and the control is “islands receiving few.” What could go wrong with this comparison? Brainstorm two possible threats to validity with a partner.

⏱️ Estimated time: 5 minutes

Pass 3: Methods (Optional)

When to Do Pass 3

Do it if:

  • Writing about the paper in detail
  • Preparing for in-depth discussion
  • Planning similar research

Skip if: You just need the main ideas for class.

What to Expect in Pass 3

  • The methods/analysis section in full detail
  • This is the hardest part of the paper
  • Can take 1–4 hours depending on complexity

Strategy: Go slow, look up terms, ask for help.

So What?

Pass 3 is for specialists. Most of the time, Passes 1–2 give you what you need.

→ Next: reading critically.

Reading Critically

Good Reading = Critical Reading

Don’t just accept everything!

  • Is the comparison fair?
  • Are there alternative explanations?
  • Does the evidence support the conclusion?
  • What are the limitations?

Critical Questions for Golden Dawn

  • Could tourism have declined on exposed islands?
  • Might media coverage have differed across islands?
  • Would the effect persist over time?
  • Could economic factors explain the results?

The authors address some—but not all.

Every Study Has Limits

  • Good papers acknowledge their limits
  • No single study proves anything definitively
  • Science advances through accumulation

Your job: Understand what the paper CAN and CAN’T tell us.

So What?

Critical reading turns you from a passive consumer into an active evaluator of evidence.

→ Next: using AI as a reading assistant.

Using AI Responsibly

AI Can Help—But Has Limits

AI CAN:

  • Explain jargon in plain language
  • Clarify confusing sentences
  • Define statistical concepts

AI CANNOT:

  • Replace actually reading the paper
  • Evaluate evidence critically for you
  • Guarantee factual accuracy

Good AI Prompts

  • “What does ‘difference-in-differences’ mean simply?”
  • “Rephrase this sentence: [paste sentence]”
  • “Did I understand correctly? [your explanation]”

Bad AI Prompts

  • “Summarize this entire 30-page paper” → skips your learning
  • “Give me references on this topic” → AI invents citations
  • “Write a critique of this paper’s methods” → plagiarism risk

Warning: AI Hallucinations

  • AI can invent citations that don’t exist
  • AI can misrepresent what papers actually say
  • Plausible-sounding ≠ correct

Always verify before trusting.

So What?

AI is a powerful reading assistant, but only if you remain the critical thinker.

→ Next: practical tips and a reading template.

Practical Tips

Create a Reading Template

For each paper, write one sentence for each:

  1. Research question
  2. Main finding
  3. Method used
  4. One strength
  5. One limitation
  6. Why it matters

What You Can Skip

  • Every equation or statistical test
  • Every citation in the literature review
  • Every technical detail in the appendix

What You Must Understand

  • Main question and answer
  • Basic logic of the comparison
  • Key evidence (direction and consistency)
  • Major limitations

Reading Gets Easier Over Time

Author’s illustration of a typical learning curve.

🗣️ Exercise 3: Apply the Template

Prompt: Using the Golden Dawn paper (or any paper from this course), fill out the six-item reading template: question, finding, method, strength, limitation, significance. Be ready to share one item with the class.

⏱️ Estimated time: 5 minutes

The Strategy: Review

Three-Pass Summary

%%{init:{"flowchart":{"useMaxWidth":true},"themeVariables":{"fontSize":"20px"},"flowchart":{"nodeSpacing":40,"rankSpacing":50},"width":1150,"height":600}}%%
flowchart LR
  P1["<b>Pass 1</b><br/>Title, Abstract,<br/>Intro, Conclusion<br/>→ Main Argument"] --> P2["<b>Pass 2</b><br/>Figures, Tables,<br/>Research Design<br/>→ Evidence"]
  P2 --> P3["<b>Pass 3</b><br/>Methods Section<br/>(if needed)<br/>→ Deep Understanding"]
  P3 --> O["<b>Output</b><br/>Completed<br/>Reading Template"]
  style P1 fill:#4a7c6f,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style P2 fill:#b7943a,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style P3 fill:#b44527,color:#fff,stroke:#334155
  style O fill:#1e293b,color:#fff,stroke:#334155

Total: 30–40 minutes for core understanding.

Key Takeaways

Remember

  1. Confusion is normal—even for experts
  2. Don’t read linearly—use the multi-pass strategy
  3. The question is your compass—find it first
  4. Figures tell stories—you don’t need advanced stats
  5. Read critically—ask questions, identify limits
  6. Use AI wisely—as assistant, not replacement

Reading is a skill. You improve with practice.

References

Works Cited

Dinas, E., Matakos, K., Xefteris, D., & Hangartner, D. (2019). Waking up the Golden Dawn: Does exposure to the refugee crisis increase support for extreme-right parties? Political Analysis, 27(2), 244–254. https://doi.org/10.1017/pan.2018.48

Keshav, S. (2007). How to read a paper. ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, 37(3), 83–84. https://doi.org/10.1145/1273445.1273458